Sports Bulletin

BIPIN DANI Former First-Class cricketer Andy Moles, who coached Scotland team and also worked with the Afghanistan players has offered "all possible help" to Bandulla Warnapura.  Like Moles, Sri Lanka's first Test captain Bandulla Warnapura leg has recently been amputated below the knee.  "If you ever need a person who has gone through the challenges that lie ahead of you.. I am available 24/7…", Moles has conveyed the message to Warnapura through this reporter. Speaking exclusively over the telephone from South Africa, where he resides, said, "Yes there will be dark days ahead… However, if you can allow yourself to let people help you, you can get through those moments. Always remember there are people worse off than yourself". "When you are first told you are to have your leg amputated, all you can think about is that my life is over! How can I survive and create an income for my family. Then in my case, I started to think about the problems people are facing in their daily lives all around the world". "Then think about the support structure you have around you. The love of your family as well as your cricketing family. All of these people will be there to support you". Advising further, he says, "Then on top of that you have your own mental strength that has served you throughout your cricketing life". "God bless you and I will keep you in my prayers", Moles has said to Warnapura. Later, speaking exclusively over the telephone from Colombo on behalf of the family, Warnapura's son, Madawa said, "We apologize for not being able to respond to our well-wishers' calls and messages individually at this situation, but their kind words and prayers in and around the world certainly kept us strong and surely has been a blessing for him. "We hope that Bandula/Our Father/Grandfather will soon be able to come back to us in his full energetic spirit so please continue to keep him in your prayers". "We as his family humbly thank all our relatives, the doctors, the ICU staff for every effort they take for his recovery".

Sports Reporter LAHORE (October 13, 2021):-Home City Central Punjab produced a commanding performance to book their spot in the National T20 final with a one-sided seven-wicket victory over GFS Sindh in the second semi-final played under the lights at the Gaddafi Stadium Lahore on Tuesday night. Central Punjab will take on defending champions Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in what is their first National T20 final since the tournament was revamped as a six-team competition in the 2019-20 season. On Tuesday night, seasoned campaigners Ahmed Shehzad and Kamran Akmal spearheaded the 142-run chase with an almost flawless batting display that left the Sindh bowlers clueless. Wicketkeeper-batter Kamran registered the 44th T20 half-century of his career while Ahmed fell one short of his 40th T20 fifty. The two added 88 runs for the second-wicket. Kamran who played some typically stylish shots in his innings scored 51 off 36 balls (seven fours, one six) he was dismissed by spinner Abrar Ahmed in the 14th over. Ahmed was dismissed by Sohail Khan for 49 (46 balls, four fours). The pair of Hussain Talat (13 not out) and Qasim Akram (11 not out) took Central Punjab past the target with 13 balls to spare. Earlier, Sindh got off to a flying start as openers Sharjeel Khan and Khurram Manzoor added 50 in 6.2 overs. Central Punjab roared back in contention through their young all-rounder (player of the match) Qasim who got rid of Sharjeel for 32 (19 balls, five fours, one six). Sindh crashed from 50 for no loss to 87 for five as Qasim and left-arm-spinner Zafar Gohar ran through the middle-order with their probing spin bowling. After dismissing Sharjeel, Qasim got rid of Saud Shakeel (7) and Danish Aziz (0). Zafar dismissed Shan Masood (1) and Khurram who was Sindh’s top-scorer with 34 off 40 balls (three fours). Pacer Sohail who was promoted to number five in the batting order contributed 21 runs but Sindh never fully recovered from their batting slump and finished well short of a competitive total. They only reached 141 courtesy some big hits by tail-enders Mir Hamza (19 not out, 9 balls, one four, two sixes) and Rumman Raees 14. Qasim finished with three for 15 in four overs, while Zafar took two for 15 in his four-over spell. Wahab took two wickets for 30 runs. Scores in Brief: Home City Central Punjab win by seven wickets GFS Sindh 141 for 8, 20 overs (Khurram Manzoor 34, Sharjeel Khan 32; Qasim Akram 3-15, Zafar Gohar 2-15, Wahab Riaz 2-30) Home City Central Punjab 145 for 3, 17.5 overs (Kamran Akmal 51, Ahmed Shehzad 49; Sohail Khan 1-24) Player of the match:  Qasim Akram Wednesday’s match: Final –Khyber Pakhtunkhwa vs Home City Central Punjab -7:30 pm.

Sports Reporter LAHORE (October 12, 2021):-A steady half-century from Sahibzada Farhan and a destructive 45 not out – at a staggering strike rate of 265 – will see Khyber Pakhtunkhwa defend their title in the final on Wednesday as they fashioned a five-wicket win over Northern in the first semi-final of the National T20 2021-22.  Defending 50 off last five, Northern had an impressive start to the death phase of the run chase as Zaman Khan leaked mere four singles and dismissed Nabi Gul in the 16th over. The next over, delivered by experienced T20 bowler Sohail Tanvir, gave away only six runs. It was the 18th over when Iftikhar Ahmed decided to take the charge with his side 40 runs away. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa captain smashed Zaman for two sixes in an over, which added 17 runs to the total. The match was settled in the penultimate over, as the right-hander, who had struck a thunderous 26-ball 54 not out last night against the same opposition in the final group-match, smoked Salman Irshad for three fours and a gigantic six over mid-wicket to leave only one run for the final over, which Khalid Usman overhauled with a towering six on the first ball. Iftikhar spanked four fours and three sixes in the innings. In this tournament, he has smashed 22 sixes – the most by any batter – and has a strike rate of 164, which is the best for the batters with more than 200 runs. It was Sahibzada Farhan’s third half-century of the tournament that had laid the foundation for the successful overhauling of 157. The right-handed opener – who is also the leading run-getter in the tournament with 421 at an average of 42.10 – led the 57-run alliance with fellow opener Musadiq Ahmed (seven off 15) before the latter handed an easy catch on the penultimate ball of the eighth over. Farhan started his innings by smashing Sohail for three boundaries in the opening over. Northern, however, did well to tame the pair for the next five overs in which Farhan and Musadiq could add only 26 runs. Farhan brought up his half-century the next ball after Musadiq’s dismissal as he caressed Anwar Jamal for a four through extra cover. He clubbed seven fours and a six in his 39-ball stay, over which he scored 53, before he holed out to long-on off Nauman Ali, who once again was the most economical bowler from his side with one for 17 off four overs. Kamran Ghulam, who smashed a brilliant 110 not out last night, made 29-ball 35, studded with six fours. Like Nauman, all other fours bowlers – Sohail, Zaman, Salman and Aamer Jamal – picked up a wicket each. Iftikhar’s call to insert Northern paid dividends as despite a solid 48-run alliance for the first wicket between Nasir Nawaz (27 off 18) and Ali Imran (run-a-ball 24), the Umar Amin-captained side put 156 for eight on board. The dismissal of Nasir – first ball after powerplay – off Khalid Usman broke the momentum and a caught and bowled by Iftikhar in the next over – that curtailed Ali’s stay at the crease – aggravated the situation. A 44-run stand between Umar (22 off 18) and Zeeshan Malik (29 off 21) promised to put the Northern innings back on track, but their dismissals in span of six balls – the former getting caught off Imran Khan Snr and the latter getting run out – left the batting side four down at 104 with 5.5 overs remaining. There were a few fireworks towards the end of the innings with Sohail spanking two sixes, but Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Arshad Iqbal soon made his presence felt by dismissing Sohail, Aamer Jamal and Nauman Ali. The right-arm pacer returned three for 35. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will face the winners of the second semi-final between Home City Central Punjab and GFS Sindh. Scores in brief Northern 156-8, 20 overs (Zeeshan Malik 29, Nasir Nawaz 27, Ali Imran 24, Umar Amin 22; Arshad Iqbal 3-35) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 161-5, 19.1 overs (Sahibzada Farhan 53, Iftikhar Ahmed 45 not out, Kamran Ghulam 35) Player of the match – Iftikhar Ahmed (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa)

Sports Desk ISLAMABAD (October 12, 2021):-Sri Lanka, Ireland, the Netherlands and Namibia will contest Group A in the first round of the 2021 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup for the right to reach the Super 12 stage. Only the top two teams will progress from the group after all four have played against each other once in the round-robin format, kicking off with the first games on October 18. Namibia will make history after qualifying for the tournament for the first time, having qualified through the 2019 ICC T20 World Cup Qualifier with victory over Oman. Ireland and Netherlands also secured their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup berths through the same route while 2014 champions Sri Lanka qualified through their world ranking. The top seeds from Group A will enter Group 1 of the Super 12 stage along with Australia, England, South Africa, West Indies and the second seed from Group B. Meanwhile, the second team from Group A go into Group 2 with Afghanistan, India, New Zealand, Pakistan and the top seeds from Group B after the first round of fixtures. Sri Lanka (seventh appearance) Favourites on paper to progress as top seeds from Group A, Sri Lanka have been inextricably intertwined with the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup ever since the first one in 2007. They have contested every single tournament since then, finishing runners-up in 2009 and 2012 before finally lifting the trophy with victory over India in the 2014 final. Outside the top eight of the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s T20I Team Rankings at the cut-off date and currently ranked 10th, their form going into the 2021 edition has been up and down to say the least. A landmark 2-1 series win over India in July this year was also bookended by 3-0 series whitewashes to England in their own back yard and the Proteas in South Africa. But no team has won more T20 World Cup games than Sri Lanka and their experience - along with a talented squad - makes them prime candidates to reach the Super 12 stage. Captained by Dasun Shanaka, Avishka Fernando, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dushmantha Chameera and Maheesh Theekshana are all potential match-winners for Sri Lanka on their day. They will open their campaign against debutants Namibia on 18 October in Abu Dhabi before a potentially decisive meeting two days later with Ireland, ranked two places lower in 12th. Sri Lanka conclude their Group A fixtures on 22 October with a clash in Sharjah against the Netherlands, who they defeated by nine wickets en route to claiming the 2014 title. Ireland (sixth appearance) Since missing out on the inaugural tournament in 2007, Ireland have been a regular feature of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup and will contest their sixth in the UAE and Oman. Their best ever performance to date came on their debut at the 2009 edition hosted by England, progressing from the first round to reach the Super 8s after beating Bangladesh. Ireland have failed to progress beyond the first round in their last four appearances, missing out on net-run rate in 2014 following group stage wins over Zimbabwe and the UAE. But as shown by their victory against Bangladesh in 2009, they have made a penchant of beating teams higher in the standings than them at major tournaments over the years. Pakistan, England, West Indies and Zimbabwe have all fallen to Ireland in the 50-over Cricket World Cup and they will definitely fancy their chances of progressing from Group A. They booked their place at this year’s tournament by topping their group in the 2019 qualifier on net run rate despite dropping matches to Canada and the UAE in the process. A series victory over Zimbabwe earlier this year will certainly have encouraged captain Andrew Balbirnie ahead of his side’s opening fixture against the Netherlands on October 18. And with the likes of Paul Stirling, Kevin O’Brien and rising star Josh Little among their ranks, the world No.12-ranked team possess the experience and talent to cause more upsets. Netherlands (fourth appearance) The Dutch showed their pedigree in the shortest format by winning the 2019 ICC T20 World Cup Qualifier, beating Papua New Guinea by seven wickets in the final in Dubai. Netherlands had already secured their qualification by reaching the semi-final stage, where they defeated Ireland by 21 runs to lay down a marker to their Group A rivals. In fact, Netherlands have won seven of their 12 T20Is against Ireland and came out on top in their recent ODI series, meaning they will also be targeting a place in the Super 12 stage. Their squad is packed with experience, with Ryan ten Doeschate and Roelof van der Merwe two of the names who will be expected to play a prominent role during the middle overs. Stephan Myburgh is another player who will be able to provide plenty of know-how, with the 37-year-old scoring 280 runs at an average of 31.11 in his previous T20 World Cups. Another dangerous weapon comes in the form of tall fast bowler Paul van Meekeren, who can touch 140kph and possesses a slower ball that could cause plenty of problems. This is the fourth time that the Dutch have qualified for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, making their debut in 2009 when they stunned England at Lord’s in a last-ball thriller. But their best performance in the tournament came five years later, topping Group B to reach the Super 10 stage where they notched another famous win over England. Namibia (debut appearance) The lowest ranked team in the tournament at 19th, Namibia are making their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup debut this year and will be viewed as underdogs to progress from Group A. Yet their road to the showpiece event showed that they do not give up without a fight, clinching their maiden appearance with five straight wins after defeats to Netherlands and PNG. Namibia’s 54-run win over Oman in their semi-final play-off at the 2019 T20 World Cup Qualifier sealed their place and capped an impressive year for Pierre de Bruyn’s emerging side. JJ Smit hits a six They also earned ODI status by winning the ICC World Cricket League Division 2 before securing their berth at this year’s T20 tournament with a string of impressive performances. While this will be Namibia’s first taste of the T20 World Cup and their first match at an ICC World Cup in either limited overs format since 2003, their squad is not without experience. Former South African international David Wiese has been included for his second T20 World Cup after the all-rounder qualified for the team through his Namibian-born father. Meanwhile, potent bowler JJ Smit is another of the team’s stars along with their skipper Gerhard Erasmus, who is capable of anchoring an innings or accelerating when needed. Namibia’s historic first match will be up against 2014 champions Sri Lanka, a tough examination that will be followed by meetings with Netherlands and Ireland in their bid for a Super 12 spot.

BIPIN DANI The ICC (International Cricket Council (ICC) decision to introduce DRS in the men's T20 World Cup for the first time has forced the Sri Lankan lawyer Senaka Weeraratna to begin fresh negotiations for his own recognition attached with the system.  For years, Senaka Weeraratna claimed to be the inventor of the DRS (Decision Review System) and he says his idea has been stolen by the authorities / officials.    "The DRS, which is a technology-based system used in cricket to assist the match officials in their decision-making was first my idea before the ICC put hands on it", Weeraratna, speaking over the telephone from Colombo, said on Monday morning. "I am fighting for my rights for the recognition and want it to be named after me". "I have also forwarded the copies of the legal opinions sought from the prominent lawyers and a letter written to the government of Sri Lanka to force the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) to deal with the ICC", the lawyer added. The four-page letter, which has been seen by this Reporter was signed by Kusan Illangatilake Esqr (Attorney-at-law) and Dr. Harsha Cabral (Presidents Counsel), the opinion has been in favour of the lawyer, who has been running from pillar to post to seek due recognition has once again requested the SLC to fight for his case with the ICC.  "I approached Anil Kumble, the cricket committee chairman and Kumar Sangakkara, the former MCC president, to take my case to the highest level".   "I have once again requested the SLC to get me stamped as Father of DRS", he concluded.  

Sports Reporter LAHORE (October 12, 2021):-A stunning 64-ball 110 not out by Kamran Ghulam orchestrated a dominating Khyber Pakhtunkhwa win over Northern by 92 runs at the Gaddafi Stadium in what was the last group match of the National T20 2021-22. This was Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s first win over Northern in the history of the event. The victory saw Khyber Pakhtunkhwa end the group stage at the top of the points table. As such, they will face fourth-placed Northern in the first semi-final tomorrow. The second semi-final will be played between second-placed Home City Central Punjab and third-placed GFS Sindh. All four semi-finalists gathered 12 points each with six wins from 10 matches. Kamran had strolled to the middle at the end of the second over when Israrullah was removed by Athar Mahmood. Upon his arrival at the crease, the right-hander took the steering wheel to anchor his side’s innings, helping them gather 52 runs in six overs – six runs more than the average powerplay score at this venue in the tournament – despite the loss of another wicket. Over the course of his maiden century, Kamran, clubbed six sixes and as many as 10 fours, and his 48-run alliance with wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Haris (15-ball 18) set the launching pad for the power-hitters in the middle-order. Iftikhar Ahmed’s thunderous 54 not out at a strike rate of over 207 propelled the batting side to an imposing 207 for four. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa captain crunched four sixes and as many fours. Iftikhar and Kamran added a staggering 93 in the last seven overs during their undefeated 133-run stand, which went down as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is best for the fifth wicket. The pair had come together in the ninth over when leg-spinner Aaqib Liaquat struck twice in an over to send Haris and Nabi Gul back to the hut. The onslaught began in the 13th over with Kamran bludgeoning Aaqib for three consecutive sixes. From that point, the pair struck at least two boundaries in every over, except for the 14th, which was Nauman Ali’s fourth over. The left-arm orthodox finished as the only bowler in the innings with his economy rate in single digit as he returned none for 19. Northern had an abysmal start to their run chase as opener Nasir Nawaz was dismissed by Imran Khan Snr on the second ball. Their problems compounded in the fourth over as the other opener, Ali Imran, was run out. They faced the next blow in the next over with one-drop Zeeshan Malik following the two openers back to the pavilion after getting caught off Arshad Iqbal. The scorecard at this stage read 33 for three. Northern had scored six runs less and lost a wicket more than Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the powerplay as they managed 46 for three in six overs. Northern lost wickets on regular intervals and with 23-ball 34 and 21-ball 23, wicketkeeper-batter Rohail Nazir and Umar Amin, the Northern captain, were the only notable run-getters. The match settled for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa when Khalid Usman removed Rohail and Mubasir Khan in back to back overs, which reduced Northern to 98 for seven in 14th over. From there on, it was only a matter of time. Northern were finally bowled out on the fourth ball of the penultimate over with Asif Afridi removing Aaqib. Alike Khalid, Imran and Asif were the other two bowlers to finish with two wickets next to their names. Scores in brief: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa beat Northern by 92 runs Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 207-4, 20 overs (Kamran Ghulam 110 not out, Iftikhar Ahmed 54 not out; Aaqib Liaquat 2-44) Northern 115 all out, 18.4 overs (Rohail Nazir 34, Umar Amin 23; Khalid Usman 2-4, Imran Khan Snr 2-24, Asif Afrid 2-32) Player of the match – Kamran Ghulam (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) Semi-finals on Tuesday at Gaddafi Stadium: 1500 start – Khyber Pakhtunkhwa v Northern 1930 start – Home City Central Punjab v GFS Sindh

Sports Reporter LAHORE (October 11, 2021):-Sindh outplayed Balochistan in a low-scoring fixture to finish their round matches with 12 points in the 29th match of the National T20 tournament played at the Gadaffi Stadium Lahore on Monday evening. Young Karachi-born batter Mohammad Taha steered Sindh to the 114-run target with a gritty unbeaten 47 off 48 balls (four fours) in what turned out to be a challenging chase on a spin-friendly pitch. Sindh had lost their seasoned batting trio of Sharjeel Khan, Khurram Manzoor and Shan Masood by the time the scored reached 53 (nine overs). Danish Aziz provided crucial support to Taha and the two took the side past the target with eight balls and five wickets to spare, the left-handed Danish returned undefeated on 19 off 18 balls (three fours). Off-spinner Mohammad Ibrahim Snr took two wickets for Balochistan. Earlier, Sindh’s captain Shan Masood won the toss and opted to field. Balochistan openers Abdullah Shafique and Abdul Wahid Bangalzai added 54 runs for the first-wicket, however the duo could only score at a run-a-ball in their nine-over stay as Sindh bowlers maintained tight control. Wahid was the first to go, he was dismissed by leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed for 29 off 30 balls (four fours). Abdullah followed Wahid to the dugout at the same score, the right-hander scored 22 off 26 balls (two fours). Balochistan stuttered to 78 for four as Ibrahim Snr and Hidayatullah fell cheaply. Umaid Asif was then run out for five with the score at 96 in 18.3 overs. Skipper Sohail Akhtar who held the innings together played some big shots in the final overs to lift the side to 113 for five which despite his efforts was clearly an under par total. Sohail hit one four and two sixes in his 37 off 36 balls. Abrar was the pick of the Sindh bowlers. In four overs, the promising spinner took two wickets for a mere 15 runs. Danish and Rumman Raees took a wicket apiece conceding 14 and 25 runs respectively in their hugely economical four-over spells. Balochistan finished their 10 matches with six points (three wins, seven defeats). They had crashed out of the semi-final race after their narrow defeat to Home City Central Punjab last night. Scores in Brief: GFS Sindh win by five wickets Balochistan 113 for 5, 20 overs (Sohail Akhtar 37 not out, Abdul Wahid Bangalzai 29; Abrar Ahmed 2-15) GFS Sindh 117 for 5, 18.4 overs (Mohammad Taha 47 not out, Danish Aziz 19 not out; Mohammad Ibrahim Snr 2-24) Player of the match:  Mohammad Taha Tuesday’s matches: First semi-final (Team 1 vs Team 4) -3pm Second semi-final (Team 2 vs Team 3) -7:30pm

Sports Reporter LAHORE (October 11, 2021):-The General Body of Shining Cricket Club (SCC) met at 5-A Race Course Road, Lahore on Wednesday, which was presided over by the President of the Club, Shahnawaz Atrey, in which all the members of the Club participated and Governing Board members Shahraiz Abdullah Khan Rokhri and (retd) Colonel Mohammad Saleem also attended the meeting as observers. According to a press release of SCC, all the members of the club unanimously adopted the model constitution of the club of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) 2019 and the election of the club in accordance with the model constitution of the club (2019). Shahnawaz Atrey (President) and Malik Yasir Abdullah (Treasurer) were unanimously elected unopposed. After the meeting, all the members nominated Syed Omar Javed as the secretary of the club to run the club in an efficient manner. PCB’s former member Governing Board Shahraiz Abdullah Khan Rokhri and (Retd) Colonel Mohammad Saleem congratulated the entire management on completing the election process of the club in accordance with the principles of (PCB). Encouraging the young players to play hard and diligently, he said that the way Shining Cricket Club was moving forward, it can be hoped that soon the club would be among the best clubs in the country. The newly elected president of the club Shahnawaz Atrey first thanked former member Governing Board (PCB) Shahraiz Abdullah Khan Rokhri and (retd) Colonel Mohammad Saleem for attending the meeting as observers. He also thanked all the members of the club for their self-confidence.  

Sports Reporter LAHORE:-Shamyl Hussain of Northern Blues, Sindh Blues’ Mohammad Hafeez and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Whites’ Mohammad Umar stole day one honours of the three-day National U19 Championship, which commenced at various grounds on Sunday. Shamyl scored an excellent 127 off 166 balls with 24 fours at the Shalimar Cricket Ground in Islamabad in Northern Blues’ 298 for five against Southern Punjab Blues. Shamyl received good support from Faraz Khan (50 not out), Haseeb Imran (44) and Hussain (42). Fourteen wickets fell at the National ground in Islamabad where Central Punjab Blues, batting first, were bowled out for 121 in 42.1 overs by Sindh Blues. Khawaja Mohammad Hafeez was the destroyer-in-chief of Central’s innings when he returned figures of 15-5-32-5. However, Central struck back through Awais Ali (three for 16) as Sindh finished the day at 30 for four. Umar recorded figures of 15-4-32-5 and Ayaz Khan took three for 27 as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Whites bowled out Balochistan Whites for 224 in 79.4 overs at the Jinnah Stadium in Sialkot.  Haseebullah was Balochistan’s top scorer with 68, followed by Mohamamd Uzair (42), Qudratullah 36 and Duniya Khan (34). Half-centuries by Azan Awais (82) and Hassan Hameed (50) helped Central Punjab Whites collect 231 for nine in 80 overs against Sindh Whites, who had reached 42 for no loss at the Jinnah Stadium in Gujranwala. Aun Shahzad was the top scorer with 82 from 167 balls with 12 fours, while Mohammad Ammar (57) and Arafat Ahmed (53) and Hasnain Majid (42) made useful contributions to help Southern Punjab Whites score 286 for seven against Northern Whites, who closed the day at the Country Club in Muridke at 10 for one. At Rawalpindi’s Shoaib Akhtar Cricket Stadium, Maaz Sadaqat was Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Blues’ top scorer with 89 as they reached 251 for eight in 64 overs against Balochistan Blues for whom Kabir Raj (three for 54) and Sajjad Ali (two for 45) took wickets. Scores in brief (day 1 of 3 of 1st round matches): Pool A Balochistan (W) v Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (W) at Jinnah Stadium, Sialkot Balochistan Whites 224 all out, 79.4 overs (Haseebullah 68, Mohamamd Uzair 42, Qudratullah 36, Duniya Khan 34; Mohammad Umar 5-32, Ayaz Khan 3-27) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Whites 6-0, 2 overs Central Punjab (W) v Sindh (W) at the Jinnah Stadium, Gujranwala Central Punjab Whites 231-9, 80 overs (Azan Awais 82, Hassan Hameed 50, Mohammad Awais 39 not out; Adeel Meo 2-40) Sindh Whites 42-0, 14 overs Southern Punjab (W) v Northern (W) at the Country Club, Muridke Southern Punjab Whites 286-7 (Aun Shahzad 82, Mohammad Ammar 57, Arfat Ahmed 53, Hasnain Majid 42; Faizan Saleem 2-45, Suleman Asif 2-45, Jahandad Khan 2-66) Northern Whites 10-1, 4 overs Pool B Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (B) v Balochistan (B), Shoaib Akhtar Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Blues 251-8, 64 overs (Maaz Sadaqat 89, Haseeb Khan 29, Ahmed Khan 28, Salman Khan 25; Kabir Raj 3-54, Sajjad Ali 2-45) Central Punjab (B) v Sindh (B) at the National Ground, Islamabad Central Punjab Blues 121 all out, 42.1 overs (Shawaiz Irfan 44, Mohammad Saad Wasim 25; Khawaja Mohammad Hafeez 5-32, Asif Ali 3-25) Sindh Blues 30-4, 12 overs (Awais Ali 3-16) Northern (B) v Southern Punjab (B) at the Shalimar Cricket Ground; Islamabad Northern Blues 298-5, 67 overs (Shamyl Hussain 127, Faraz Khan 50 not out, Haseeb Imran 44, Hussain 42; Mohammad Abubakar 2-52)

Sports Reporter LAHORE (October 11, 2021):-Home City Central Punjab registered a thrilling three-wicket win to confirm their semi-final spot as Balochistan were knocked out in the 28th match of the National T20 tournament played under the lights at the Gadaffi Stadium Lahore on Sunday night. Central Punjab joined Northern in the semi-finals while their victory also ensured semi-final qualification for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh. Central Punjab and Northern have 12 points while KP and Sindh are on 10 points. Sindh will play Balochistan and will eye a victory and a top-two finish, KP have a chance of adding two more points and also finishing in the top two if they overcome Northern in the last group match that will also be played tomorrow, the semi-finals will be played on Tuesday, 12 October. On Sunday night, set a 163-run target, captain Wahab Riaz delivered the killer blow with three sixes of the 18th over of the innings bowled by Amad Butt. Young all-rounder Qasim Akram had hit a six on the first ball of the over before he handed over the strike to his captain with a single on the second ball. A total of 27 runs were scored in the Amad over, before the over began Central Punjab had needed 29 runs to win. Wahab (28 off nine, four sixes) and Qasim (13 off five, one four, one six) added 38 runs off 14 balls for the unbroken eight-wicket stand. The platform for the chase was laid with a 48-run stand between wicketkeeper Muhammad Akhlaq 32 (21 balls and Hussain Talat (20). Central Punjab wobbled in the chase in the middle overs and had stuttered 98 for five at one stage. Faheem Ashraf revived the chase with a quickfire 27 off 15 balls (one four, three sixes) before Wahab and Qasim combined to take their side past the target. Earlier, Central Punjab opted to bowl after winning the toss. Balochistan opener Abdullah Shafique once again displayed his impressive T20 batting prowess with his second successive half-century. The right-hander looked in sublime touch as he posted his fourth T20 50. Abdullah top-scored for Balochistan with 60 off 42 balls (three fours, four sixes). Abdullah held the Balochistan innings together as wickets fell at regular intervals at the other end. None of the top and middle-order batters could reach double figures. Abdullah finally found an able ally in Amad Butt, the two added 46 runs for the sixth-wicket. Amad hit a scintillating 43 off 27 balls (two fours, three sixes), the all-rounder remained unbeaten. Amad added 40 runs for the seventh-wicket with Umaid Asif who tonked two sixes in his 15 off five balls. Sameen Gul who was later adjudged player of the match, bowled an outstanding spell for Central Punjab taking three wickets for 20 runs in his four overs.  Mohammad Faizan took two wickets. Scores in Brief: Home City Central Punjab win by three wickets Balochistan 162 for 7, 20 overs (Abdullah Shafique 60, Amad Butt 43 not out; Sameen Gul 3-20, Mohammad Faizan 2-30) Home City Central Punjab 182 for 6, 20 overs (Muhammad Akhlaq 32, Wahab Riaz 28 not out, Faheem Ashraf 27; Haris Sohail 2-21) Player of the match:  Sameen Gul Sunday’s matches: GFS Sindh vs Balochistan -3pm Northern vs Khyber Pakhtunkhwa -7:30pm